A person, with a little context

Alex Example

I make small tools for people doing things together.

Independent builder. Curious neighbour. Always carrying a notebook.

A few things I’ve put into the world

Work & the stories behind it

3 pieces

Get the gist here. Open a piece for my part in it, the context, and what connects.

Showing 3 of 3 pieces.

Project · 2025Being tried outThe little lending libraryHelping neighbours borrow the things they only need once in a while.My part: Research & prototypeRead context

My contribution: I mapped the borrowing journey and built the first prototype. A small volunteer team shaped the service and keeps it running. I was one contributor, not the person behind every part of it.
Why it mattered: Borrowing a drill should feel as easy as asking a neighbour. We tried fewer forms, clearer instructions, and room for a conversation.
Where it stands: The prototype is complete. Volunteers are trying it out; we don’t yet know whether it makes the service easier to run.

A reference, with context

Notes from the first borrowing sessions

Background for the decisions I describe here.

People wanted to know when an item would be back, who to ask for help, and what to do if a plan changed.

Invented excerpt for this example; no external source is linked.

Writing · 2025FinishedMaking room to borrowA short essay about the small bits of trust that make shared things work.My part: WriterRead context

My contribution: I wrote and illustrated this reflection after working on the lending-library prototype. Two volunteers read an early draft and helped me see what I had missed.
Why it mattered: Software can make a form shorter. It takes people to make someone comfortable asking for help. I wanted to keep both parts in view.
Where it stands: A finished essay, offered as a personal reflection rather than a research finding.

A reference, with context

Making room to borrow — an excerpt

An example of the writing itself.

The most useful feature wasn’t a feature at all. It was knowing the name of the person you could ask.

Invented excerpt for this example; no external source is linked.

Project · 2024–2025Handed overA seat at the open tableA simple way for a neighbourhood group to organise shared meals.My part: Service designRead context

My contribution: I interviewed the organisers, sketched the signup flow, and helped a volunteer developer test the first version. The organisers owned the decisions about how their meals would run.
Why it mattered: People were juggling a spreadsheet, messages, and a paper list. The useful question was which parts really needed to become software.
Where it stands: The group took over the working prototype. I’m no longer involved in its day-to-day operation.

A reference, with context

Open table — handover notes

Explains the part I handed over and the boundaries of my involvement.

Keep a printable list for the door. Not every volunteer wants to use a phone while welcoming people.

Invented excerpt for this example; no external source is linked.

A few chapters. One person.

The same story, readable by an assistant.

The page and this sample data use the same record: an introduction, each piece of work, my contribution, and the connections between them. Search and closed entries change the view, not what’s in the record.

Look underneath this example All 3 pieces · sample JSON

This is a proposed data shape for a fictional example. It isn’t a published profile or a connected assistant response. In the real product, only the version a person approves will be shared.

Download sample data

{
  "schemaVersion": "definedby-profile-demo/0.1",
  "nature": "fictional-example",
  "publication": null,
  "person": {
    "id": "alex-example",
    "name": "Alex Example",
    "introduction": "I make small tools for people doing things together.",
    "byline": "Independent builder. Curious neighbour. Always carrying a notebook.",
    "about": "I like the bit where a good idea meets everyday life. Most of my work starts with listening, a few sketches, and something small enough to try.",
    "currentFocus": "Community spaces, useful software, and making the first step feel easier."
  },
  "works": [
    {
      "id": "lending-library",
      "kind": "Project",
      "title": "The little lending library",
      "year": "2025",
      "status": "Being tried out",
      "summary": "Helping neighbours borrow the things they only need once in a while.",
      "role": "Research & prototype",
      "contribution": "I mapped the borrowing journey and built the first prototype. A small volunteer team shaped the service and keeps it running. I was one contributor, not the person behind every part of it.",
      "why": "Borrowing a drill should feel as easy as asking a neighbour. We tried fewer forms, clearer instructions, and room for a conversation.",
      "outcome": "The prototype is complete. Volunteers are trying it out; we don’t yet know whether it makes the service easier to run.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Notes from the first borrowing sessions",
        "relationship": "Background for the decisions I describe here.",
        "excerpt": "People wanted to know when an item would be back, who to ask for help, and what to do if a plan changed."
      },
      "related": {
        "id": "room-to-borrow",
        "relationship": "I wrote about a lesson from this project in"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "room-to-borrow",
      "kind": "Writing",
      "title": "Making room to borrow",
      "year": "2025",
      "status": "Finished",
      "summary": "A short essay about the small bits of trust that make shared things work.",
      "role": "Writer",
      "contribution": "I wrote and illustrated this reflection after working on the lending-library prototype. Two volunteers read an early draft and helped me see what I had missed.",
      "why": "Software can make a form shorter. It takes people to make someone comfortable asking for help. I wanted to keep both parts in view.",
      "outcome": "A finished essay, offered as a personal reflection rather than a research finding.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Making room to borrow — an excerpt",
        "relationship": "An example of the writing itself.",
        "excerpt": "The most useful feature wasn’t a feature at all. It was knowing the name of the person you could ask."
      },
      "related": {
        "id": "lending-library",
        "relationship": "This reflection grew out of"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "open-table",
      "kind": "Project",
      "title": "A seat at the open table",
      "year": "2024–2025",
      "status": "Handed over",
      "summary": "A simple way for a neighbourhood group to organise shared meals.",
      "role": "Service design",
      "contribution": "I interviewed the organisers, sketched the signup flow, and helped a volunteer developer test the first version. The organisers owned the decisions about how their meals would run.",
      "why": "People were juggling a spreadsheet, messages, and a paper list. The useful question was which parts really needed to become software.",
      "outcome": "The group took over the working prototype. I’m no longer involved in its day-to-day operation.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Open table — handover notes",
        "relationship": "Explains the part I handed over and the boundaries of my involvement.",
        "excerpt": "Keep a printable list for the door. Not every volunteer wants to use a phone while welcoming people."
      },
      "related": {
        "id": "lending-library",
        "relationship": "A similar question about useful community tools appears in"
      }
    }
  ]
}